The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-11-03
as EXPECTED.

1t was the drowning man clutching
the straw when the Chicago Anarchists
went to the United States Supreme
Court with petition for writ of error
to the Illinois Supreme Court. There
vas one chance in a thousand that the
Supreme Court might interpose, not to
save the lives of the condemned men,
but to delay the execution. 1t was that
one chance which the miserable
wretches were after. That they would
succeed very few intelligent, thoughtful
people have for a moment believed. 1t
was a case to be decided by cold law
and not by sympathy. The Court
could not take cognizance of the fact,
if it were fact, that the Anarchists
had a grievance; the Court could
not heed appeals for mercy. nor
could it know that there were many or
few Anarchists in this country, nor
whether these Anarchists were well dis
posed or otherwise towards society and
the republic. All the Court had to do
in the matter was to decide if the laws
under which the men were tried were
Constitutional, and whether the accused
were given such regular and fair trials
as the nation guarantees to all accused
persons.
The questions involved were not
difficult to determine, and there will be
no dispute as to the strict rightfulness
of the decision rendered. The court very
properly denies the right. 1t would be
bold and very serious thing to do for
the United States Supreme Court to
step in and say State had denied to
citizen constitutional trial, and con-
victed him by irregular and improper
methods. The impunging of the judi
ciary of State that would be the
effect of such action on the part of the
Federal court, would everywhere be re-
garded as outrageous, and would be
Ee.y apt to lead to serious trouble. 1t
would also be decidedly risky business
or the Supreme Court to step in with
4n assertion of the right to review
criminal cases tried in the State courts.
The Supreme Court decision denying
he writ of error determines The fate of
he seven Anarchists. They must hang
. It the appointed time. Their only
nope of escape is based upon such weak
md shadowy grounds that it will
ardly be worth their while to put
orth further efforts for life. The Gov
rnor alone caB save them from the
cNffold, and there is not the slightest
reliability that he will interfere to pre-
ent the execution of the depraved and
esperate wretches who hold the lives
! others in such low esteem that they
not hesitate to murder the innocent
: nd guilty.
With some there is apprehension that
ne execution of the condemned will
5 i've an impetus to the cause repre-
snted by Spies and associates, and
+ lduce the spreading rather than
ne restriction of Anarchistic ideas. This
opposition is based upon the theory
lat the blood of the martyr is the
led of the church." but the fear is
roundless. The cause of the Anar-
5 lists is bad through and through;
lere is nothing about it which arouses
he adm iration or excites the praise of
BOD men. On the contrary, the doc
ines arr execrable and entirely incon-
stent with any form of government
is the rabble, the lswless, which takes
ndly to anarchy, and not the intelli-
IN, and law-loving. If the Anarchists
s ere men who could arouse sympathy,
E id their doctrines were such az should
mmand consideration, the hanging of
e Chicago criminals would make mar
rs of them, and many would arise to
ke the places and carry on the labor
the few. But when Sries and his
ng are executed the public will say
ven very ugly, dangerous men, have
en- disposed of. The less defiant, but
ually malicious Anarchists, will also
lrn from the incident that their reVo-
tionary doctrines and murderous
eds will not be tolerated on American
il.